


A Helping Hand

by Ultra



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Awkward Conversations, Chocolate Box Exchange, Chocolate Box Treat, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friendship/Love, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22375225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: It's a year since Cassidy died. Mac and Dick are both still trying to cope.
Relationships: Dick Casablancas/Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	A Helping Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kangeiko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kangeiko/gifts).



“So...”

“Yeah, so...”

Mac looked at Dick and he stared back at her.

“This was your idea,” she reminded him. “I was the slightly drunk, completely stupid person who agreed to it, but it was definitely you who suggested it, dude,” she said, rolling her eyes. “So...”

“Hey, I was just...” he began, stalling almost immediately. “I wasn’t... Screw this!” he eventually declared throwing up his hands.

He was up from the wall they had been sitting on before Mac could even blink, storming off across the beach. Though she was immediately on her feet and chasing after him, he had the advantage of longer legs and being way more used to traversing sand than she was.

When she did finally catch up to him, grabbing at his bicep, she tripped and almost dragged the both of them down.

“Geez, what is wrong with you?” he asked, hands at her shoulders, setting her straight on her feet.

“What’s wrong with me?” Mac blinked up at me. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously,” Dick countered. “I thought of all people in the whole frickin’ world, you would get it, Mackenzie. I thought maybe, just maybe, you would get some of this crap that I’m feeling and just wanna...” He stopped, hands that had started to shake her finally letting go as he realised what he was doing. “Forget about it, okay?”

“I don’t want to forget,” she said fast and loud, grabbing at him when he moved to leave again. “I mean, some stuff, I do, but... I do know what you’re talking about, Dick,” she told him then, tone levelling out again, “and I get what you’re feeling. The love, the hate, it’s all so messed up and... and nobody gets it,” she said, looking up and meeting his eyes.

She saw the same storm in there that lived inside of her too and all because of one person - Cassidy. She loved him once, and of course, Dick did too, being his brother. After finding out what he had done to hurt so many others, only to learn he was no longer for this world, it was too much, way too much. It might’ve made sense for them to lean on each other sooner than this, a year after the event, but they hadn’t known how then. Maybe they still didn’t, but at least they were willing to try.

“So...”

“Yeah, so...” said Dick, finding her half a smile. “You wanna maybe go grab something to eat. You’re all ‘meat is murder’, right? ‘Cause I actually know this cool pizza place that does a killer veggie-friendly meat-lovers...”

When he threw his arm around Mac’s shoulders, she let him. When he set off walking, she went with him. When he said the next ridiculous thing, she actually laughed. As unlikely a pair as they made, maybe they could help each other through this after all.


End file.
